The Stuff that Benders are made of
by Crylywn
Summary: Hsiang comes from a poor family and has big dreams. In order to prove himself to his love Hsiang allows pride to drive him to desperate actions.
1. Chapter 1

The last of the air temples collapsed under the might of the fire nation invasion, the resistance been pathetically little. The air nation never shown the foresight of investing in a standing army and now their folly showed. One or two small flurries of activity displayed some futile last attempts of the nations survival, and yet no Avatar had been found.

The cycle should have continued on as it always had, an Avatar should have been born to the Air Nomads. Was it possible that there was a single remaining Air Temple left to be discovered, had they not scoured the globe in their search? Perhaps there was no Avatar, could the cycle have discontinued?

These questions concerned Hsiang more than his superiors. He had sited the problem to them weeks before, his fear that with a remaining Avatar outside of the Fire Nations control, problems could emerge. Hsiang had been mocked for his lack of faith in the military. The powers that were doubted any real threat toward their nation and that was their biggest flaw.

Hsiang had been made to sit out on the final battle because of fear that he was a sympathizer and a rebel. No proof had been found against him, but that didn't matter anymore these days. Hsiang had seen many of his friends seized for speaking something treasonable. It was now apparently a serious crime to suggest that the Fire Nation's way of life was not the only way. Of course it wasn't considered a crime to say that if you lived in the Earth, or Water nations, but then Hsiang lived in the Fire Nation.

The last of the flames lifted an air bender clean into the air and spun him over the abyss. The bender made no effort to correct his fall and was clearly not coming back after the landing. The Fire Nations victory was complete. Hsiang knew that next would come the award ceremony in which the on looking generals would award those whose valor had been noteworthy, and then would come the official rising of the flag.

Hsiang was disgusted at the pompousness of the festivities and turned to re-enter the ship. He was caught warningly by an Admiral who stared searchingly into the young Hsiang's eyes, then released. Hsiang told himself that he had done nothing which could warrant reprimand as he allowed the door to close behind him.

The Admiral had merely been trying to remind him of his place in society, like he needed reminding. Hsiang been born of humble birth had joined the army in the hopes of bringing glory to his family name. His family had been builders and during the peace times found it difficult to make a living while earth benders created structures within the Fire Nation's territories of equal splendor to that of his father. The cost of hand labor was not appreciated and with benders been available for hire, that meant his father found it hard to compete. Those who Hsiang's father served had always been strongly nationalist and openly spat out the names of non-fire nation nationals. Without their spite and hatred Hsiang's family would have starved years ago. Since the war began his father had found more work, but Hsiang knew that a day would come soon when Earth Nation slaves would take over the industry again.

The ship was not the kind designed to sail on waves. The prow of the ship was designed to sit on it's side and roll. The floor ran straight and the cured upwards towards a second door which, from Hsiang's current angle appeared to be on the ceiling. The boat had been set above the Air Nation's land and boarded sideways before been rolled over the edge. Strong hooks had prevented a sudden plunge into the bottomless depths and a series of relays lowered the vessel downward to a good vantage point of the field of conflict.

Hsiang had seen the fall of the Air Nomads but had not believed it. He was not willing to accept the destruction of the Avatar and knew that he or she was still a danger to his families way of life. The commanders were blinded by the power of office, it would be him to prevent the Avatar's vengeance.

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	2. Chapter 2

The return home of Hsiang and the rest of the army was met with great celebration in the capital. The streets were alive with celebration as the news spread of victory over the Air Nomads. Dancers performed sacred rites in worship of the Fire Spirits and of Dragons, the first benders of the great fire. Some Hsiang recognized as 'The Serpent', and 'The Phoenix', others he did not know.

A skilled troupe of benders provided a lively light display in the skies with flames of a myriad of colors which darted one way, then another. When two or more flames collided they resulted in explosions of new and unpredictable color. The crowds roared as red and blues became yellows and purples.

It was said that even the Fire Lord's family would be in attendance, yet the Fire Lord himself would no doubt be delayed with the debriefings and updates on the next campaign predicted to be against the Water Tribes. Hsiang had been taught well by his family to understand that the Fire Nation was only doing what was right for the world. The Fire Nation had for a long time been prosperous and provided amply for it's people. The world would appreciate the rewards of joining the Fire Nation under a single banner. It was surprising to Hsiang therefore that the Air Nomads had resisted.

Hsiang's family was not there either, they would be working harder now than ever to provide for the Nation. It would have been more than he could have expected for them to be there for him, he had always been the dreamer of the household and his father told him many times that the real world would not care for him when he was older. His father never dreamed, his father only did the jobs that were presented for him.

The princess Ursa appeared at the top of the stairs. The granddaughter of the great Avatar Roku and something of a child prodigy at a remarkably young age. She had learnt to bend fire at the age of three years old and was treated with enormous respect by her father-in-law Azulon. Her brother-in-law was the Legendary Dragon of the West and first in line for the throne. It was a title given to only those who had slain the great beasts of the past. Iroh had been famed for successfully slaughtering the last of the noble dragons, retaining the secrets of Fire Bending solely to the Fire Nation. Her husband Ozai would succeed as second in line only, though he seemed more impassioned than his brother. They had married only a few months before, at the tender age of twelve.

The princess stood there coolly for every bit that she was hot. Hsiang admired her for her splendor and had longingly desired her from afar. Her countenance was that of a noble background, it showed inner peace and outward tranquility. Her hair was sleek and brown and hung gently across her shoulder blades. Even at such a young age Hsiang could see the beautiful woman she would become, and he was not very much older than her. It was true that six years was a hurdle at their age, but Hsiang would not always be a teenager, and Hsiang was certain he could love her many times over what Ozai could offer her. Hsiang knew that she would not notice him unless he made her though. Hsiang knew that he would have to do something great in order for the Ursa to recognize him. Well he would do something, something no-one would be able to ignore.

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	3. Chapter 3

"Can anyone tell me what we mean by the Spirit World?" The teacher at the front of the class was female by zoological description but no further. Her eyebrows bunched together like two angry caterpillars wrestling it out for dominance of the forehead. Her hair had been severely bunched up into a tight ball and forced into submission by a three very matter-of-fact needles. Her teeth ground through sentences like she was trying to dislodge a rather discomforting piece of rock from beneath her teeth.

"The Spirit World is…" Mee, the teacher's star pupil began to answer but was drowned out by the gravel rumble that implied the teacher was about to rebuke her. Mee swiftly raised her arm up into the air which pacified the educational monster standing at the front of the room. The teacher ceased her grind and waved Mee to continue.

"The Spirit World is an alternate realm living in a symbiotic relationship with our own. It allows a flow of energy between the two realms of existential potential and permits bending to become possible."

Mee beamed brightly. Hsiang always assumed that she copied answers out of a book beforehand and had some hidden way of cheating in class. The answer she gave had to be college level and Hsiang doubted that Mee understood any of what she had just said.

"Well done Mee. For those of you in the class struggling to keep up let me explain that. The Spirit World is a different world from our own. What that means, I do hope you're taking notes Liang. For that matter Lixue, if I see you passing any more you'll be burned so badly the school physician won't be able to heal you, am I clear?"

"Yes Ms." Apologized Lixue as she quickly tore apart the offending note.

"What that means is that the two worlds are not the same. Can anyone tell me what Symbiotic means… Hsiang?"

"It means that both worlds gain something from it." Hsiang answered neatly.

" Correct, did everyone hear what he just said? Do try to speak up Hsiang, you're family is poor, not stupid. What we gain is the ability to bend elements, what the Spirit world gains is belief and spirit energy. If we did not pass on into the Spirit World then the Spirit World would die out. Without death their can be no life, and the energy is recycled back into our world through new life and bending." The teacher drew a complicated series of lines and shapes on the board, the half of the class nearest her dutifully copied them down.

"Miss?" Mee had extended her hand again holding a stylus for extra reach.

"Yes Mee, you have a question?" Teacher's pet thought Hsiang, everyone else would have been told to save it for the end of class.

"Why can the Avatar bend all the elements and nobody else?"

Damn, that was advanced stuff. Hsiang had never even conceived of the question before, the Avatar just… well they just could. The teacher smiled for a moment, perhaps she saw the ridiculousness of the question herself and was trying to find an answer without hurting her prize student.

"The Avatar serves as an anchor between the two worlds. Without the Avatar it is proposed by some scholars that the two plains of existence would drift apart and that no bending could be possible. Imagine two plates, one on top of the other, if they are held together they will stay that way; but if they are not held, and you spin them both at the same time, one will fly away.

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever…" Hsiang stopped dead, the entire classroom was looking at him. He had spoken out loud instead of catching the words in his mind and now the teacher was coming toward him. Hsiang briefly glimpsed Mee smirking before the primal weight of the teacher pushed down onto his desk.

"Oh, and you have a better answer?" Even the teachers innocent voice sounded like two tectonic plates jostling for supremacy.

"Spirit energy provides life as well as bending. You're suggesting that without the Avatar the entire planet would rot into decay. My father says that the Avatar is dead anyway." Hsiang was defiant in his answer, he had always been proud, and pride often had consequences.

"You might have a future as a existential theorist, but in my classroom we do not speak out of turn, now leave my presence before I do something we'll both regret. I want a full essay on your alternative to modern Avatar theory in the morning."

Hsiang slid his belongings into his sack and stood slowly up from his chair. He bowed to the teacher, turned, and ran.


	4. Chapter 4

The bell rang for the end of class as Hsiang sat quietly on the outskirts of the school grounds. He liked that spot, high up above the buildings of modern academia, where he could see across the town toward the palace. Often he fantasized that Ursa would be staring back at him from her chambers, but today his gaze did not linger in that direction.

In the sand Hsiang drew four symbols idly, the signs for the four nations. He contemplated the question Mee had raised in class, the teacher had not answered the question at all. Four elements, and only one Avatar. The teacher had failed to answer why there could not be more Avatars, why not everyone?

"Remedial art I see, I didn't know you were struggling this much." Chirped the familiar voice of Mee, he hadn't noticed her approach.

"Go away."

"How come you never play with us other kids Hsiang? Nobody likes the poor boy I take it?" Mee snagged a tree and swung around on the limb into an crouching position halfway up the trees height.

"I don't seek the company of others, your games are dumb."

"Oh, the hurt, the pain… Smoke is all you can blow boy." Mee mocked Hsiang openly whenever the teaching staff wasn't in sight. She could have probably done it in plain view, Hsiang hadn't tested the theory yet.

"You get the answer to your question?" Hsiang wiped the symbols from the sand and turned to face his tormentor, his question showed only sincerity and interest.

"Nope, not that the other babies noticed. Teacher never answers the spicier stuff, oh well." Mee hung her head sideways like a rag doll, it was almost endearing.

"The way the teacher spoke, the Avatar hordes spirit energy for himself. Without an Avatar everyone could bend."

"Herself. Perhaps without the other benders around we would be more powerful, Air nation is wiped out I hear, I might feel a little stronger." Mee ignited her hand in flame and willed it to turn green, it was a trick that only the senior students were beginning to master.

"I know, I was there. Where were you Mee?" For the first time since the conversation began an outside observer could detect the buried resentment that Hsiang held for his college .

"I was engaged in other activities, you know they only send the fodder into battle. You're expendable, no-one would miss you if you died at war."

Mee's answer hurt Hsiang because at some level he supposed that it could be true. He looked out over the campus and imagined the princess doing her routine without any awareness of his existence, it was a mistake he quickly regretted.

"That's right, she won't miss you either. You think I haven't seen the pictures of her on your parchments, you think I don't know why you come up here every day?" Mee dropped from the tree and landed nimbly onto the soft earth.

"Let me be Mee, I'm nothing to you." Hsiang's voice developed a huskiness to it and Mee knew she had hit a sore note.

"Don't forget it boy, you're nothing to anybody."

Mee didn't stay to see the results of her words, she waltzed away toward the play area where the others ran happily. Hsiang sobbed quietly until the pain subsided.


End file.
